EnnaEel Cooks

August 22nd, 2009

We’d be so grand at the game.

Posted by LA in Crab, Pasta, Recipes, Seafood


Crab fettuccine with peas, pepper, and tomato. Further proof that even when I make something I’ve never quite made before, the chances of it containing green onion are about 2:1.

Fettuccini
Fresh pasta
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 T. unsalted butter, divided
1/4 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1/3 c. fresh peas
2 t. fresh lemon juice
4 T. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 fresh serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/3 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided

  • Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 c. cooking water, then drain pasta.
  • While pasta water comes to a boil, cook green onion and garlic in 1 T. oil and 1 T. butter in a wok over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 c. pasta-cooking water, peas, salt and pepper to taste, and cook 1 minute.
  • Add crab and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
  • Add pasta, lemon juice, cheese, chile, tomato, and remaining tablespoon each of oil and butter and stir to combine well, adding more cooking water to moisten if necessary.
  • Remove from heat and stir in all but 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve pasta sprinkled with remaining parsley.

    How not to write a food blog:
    1. Cook dinner more often than you get a chance to write up the recipe.
    2. Let recipes back up until you’ve got a week’s worth saved up.
    3. Try to post a recipe after you’ve just finished cooking and eating something that is completely different from the recipe you’re just about to post.

    For serious. Now, I am a. sleepy after eating, b. having a hard time remembering the fettuccine, and c. too lazy to do dishes from what I just cooked, so I’m blogging instead.

    Luckily, this particular recipe was very good for providing tasty leftovers. (Which have jogged my memory.) Everything I didn’t eat that night went into some pyrex refrigerator dishes. And when I made my bento the next morning, the pyrex went straight into the oven and heated up perfectly. There was just enough moisture in the pasta to keep it from turning into soggy soup, or drying up into a crusty clump.

    Next week, when I’m not suffering from food coma, there will be recipes and coherent thoughts. Promise.

    • Listening to:: Frank Sinatra - You'd Be So Easy to Love
    • Playing:: Bioshock
    August 10th, 2009

    You date a girl and find out later she smells just like a percolater.

    Posted by LA in Barista Stories, Mexican, Recipes, Rice


    Tilapia and sweet corn tamales with Mexican rice. I don’t know why I decide to begin all of my most time-consuming food projects after 10:00 pm. Because this generally means not eating until 1:00 am.

    Masa
    1 c. maseca
    1 c. lukewarm chicken stock
    1 t. baking powder
    1 t. paprika
    1 t. garlic powder
    2 t. chipotle chili powder
    1/2 t. salt
    1/3 c. vegetable shortening

  • Blend maseca, baking powder, paprika, garlic, chili, and salt in a small bowl.
  • With your hands, slowly work the broth into the dry mixture.
  • Beat shortening into mixture until dough has a spongey texture.

    Tamales
    Prepared masa
    1 large fresh ear of corn
    1 T. maseca
    1 t. kosher salt
    2 (8 ounce) tilapia fillets
    1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 t. ancho chili powder
    1/2 t. ground cinnamon
    6 corn husks

  • Soak corn husks in room temperature water for 30 minutes before preparing tamales.
  • Lay corn on work surface and cut off kernels. Coarsely chop kernels and mix with maseca and salt. Set aside.
  • Cut tilapia fillets into strips. In a small, flat dish, mix cocoa, ancho chili, and cinnamon. Coat tilapia in dry mixture and set aside.
  • Shake the water off of the corn husks and set on a towel while you roll your tamales.
  • Lay the shuck across your hand, with the small end toward your fingers. Spread about a half-cup of masa on the shuck with a spatula. Leave the right and bottom third of the shuck uncovered so that you can roll it later.
  • Place a strip of tilapia in the center of the masa, and cover with about a T. of the corn mixture.
  • Starting on the part of the shuck where the masa goes all the way to the edge, roll all the way to the opposite edge. Now fold the empty end of the shuck up, and set aside. Repeat until you run out of shucks.
  • Steam the tamales in a large pot on low for an hour, with the tamales closely packed and upright so that they don’t unfold.
  • Remove one tamale and let cool for 5 minutes. Unwrap and check to see that the masa is cooked through.
  • Serve with rice, beans and a few warm corn tortillas.

    Mexican rice
    1 c. long grain white rice
    1 T. vegetable oil
    1 1/2 c. chicken broth
    1/2 onion, finely chopped
    1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
    1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
    1 T. ketchup
    1 tomato, seeded and chopped
    salt and pepper to taste
    1/2 t. ground cumin
    1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
    1 clove garlic, halved

  • In a medium sauce pan, cook rice in oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
  • Stir in onion, green pepper, jalapeno, ketchup, and diced tomato. Season with salt and pepper, cumin, cilantro, and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

    This turned out surprisingly well. I usually don’t have such high hopes for something that requires so much assembly – there are so many steps where something can go wrong. But this recipe came off without a hitch, and was extremely tasty to boot. True story. (I have witnesses.)
    Score one for surprise cooking instincts attributed to my Mexican ancestry.
    I actually didn’t have a pot large enough to steam the tamales upright, so instead I used my wok and bamboo steamers. It actually worked out really well. Here’s hoping that my next batch of dim sum doesn’t taste like corn.

    It’s been so incredibly busy at work these past couple of weeks. And this has exponentially increased the likelihood of the sort of interactions with customers that can only be responded to with a “Bwuh?”
    And for your reading pleasure, my two most recent favorites:

    Dear Customer: Do you make your mocha with chocolate syrup or chocolate milk?
    Friendly Neighborhood Barista: *raises eyebrow* I, well… what?
    DC: Do you make your mocha with chocolate syrup or chocolate milk?
    FNB: *considering whether both could be true* Well, we make a mocha with chocolate syrup, milk, and shots of espresso.
    DC: *looking disappointed* Then I’ll have a latte.
    FNB: Would you like us to make that hot or iced?
    DC: Iced.
    FNB: *picks up plastic cup*
    DC: You’re going to put it in that? Can I have it in a paper cup?
    FNB: You’d like your iced drink in a hot cup?
    DC: Yea, I’d like it hot.

    Bwuh?

    Friendly Neighborhood Barista: Evenin’ miss, what can we ge–
    Dear Customer: *really quickly and barely discernible* I need something sweet, and hazelnut, and South American, with cream, and mixed with ice. With coffee. You know? Like, a coffee thing. And just, mixed up with ice.

    I’m still tripping on the ‘South American’ bit.

    • Listening to:: Frank Sinatra - The Coffee Song
    • Reading:: Blackest Night
    August 9th, 2009

    Same as it ever was.

    Posted by LA in Comic Books, Mahi Mahi, Recipes, Seafood


    Greek mahi mahi with green beans. Nothing starchy because I get allllllll the starches I need at work. “Why yes, I think I’ll have a giant peanut butter brownie for breakfast, thanks.”

    Mahi Mahi
    1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
    1 T. plus 1 t. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
    1 t. red-wine vinegar
    2 (6-ounce) pieces mahi mahi fillet
    1 T. sour cream
    1/2 cup crumbled feta
    1 t. chopped mint
    1 t. chopped dill
    1 t. fresh lemon juice
    4 very thin lemon slices

  • Preheat broiler.
  • Toss tomatoes with oil, vinegar, and salt.
  • Line a broiler pan or small 4-sided sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly oil foil. Put fish on pan and season with salt and pepper.
  • Whisk together sour cream, feta, herbs, and lemon juice and spread over top of fish. Put 2 lemon slices on center of each fillet. Drizzle lemon slices with remaining oil.
  • Broil fish until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes. If topping browns before fish is cooked, cover loosely with foil. Serve fish with tomatoes.

    The green beans were blanched, and served with a little bit of tomato, garlic, and black olives. Nothing too fancy, just a lil somethin’ because I wanted some green.

    I picked up some mahi mahi today because I decided I deserved it. I was lucky enough to have a week off to see family and friends and attend Comic-Con, but to be able to do so, I needed to work my totoros off the weeks before and after to make up for my absence. Needless to say, I’ve been exhausted. Though it was well worth it.

    The first Comic-Con International: San Diego that I ever attended was in 1999. A high school friend invited me after getting several free passes from his mom.

    What do I remember about my first Comic-Con? Lots of Padme Amidalas. Episode I had just come out, and I think there were perhaps 5 separate Darth Mauls performing for the Masquerade. I remember the group of boys I was with making fun of the nerdy crowds we were aimlessly wandering through, and I remember leaving them at some point to press my nose up against the glass window above the exhibition floor. My very cursory knowledge of comic books was garnered from the DC Comics Timmverse, but just being around the vendors and artists and cosplayers and writers made me giddy. Afterwards, I rejoined my friends to learn they were bored with the Con, and instead wanted to go see Brokedown Palace at Horton Plaza. Thus, the end of my first Con was spent perusing through cds at Sam Goody, probably picking up dinner from a Panda Express, and trying to figure out whether or not Claire Danes was in fact smuggling heroin in Thailand.

    Fast forward 10 years, and I’m standing in top hat, tails, and fishnets in front of Bruce Timm and Andrea Romano before the Green Lantern: First Flight premiere and chatting about the Timmverse introducing the uninitiated to the wide world of comics. I made a serious attempt to avoid excessive giggling and voice-cracking, but I imagine that for a guy who had all 4,000 attendees at the premiere stand and recite the Lantern’s oath before the film, Bruce likely wouldn’t be too bothered by a giggly fan.

    Every year, I seem to overhear the same conversation between Con-goers about how it’s “so bad this year. It wasn’t this crowded last year.” And I smile to myself, and try to remember a time when I was able to completely cross the exhibition floor in under 15 minutes on a busy Saturday afternoon. But I don’t know that I would describe the growing crowds as bad. In fact, I’d have to say that the people at Comic-Con are my favorite part.

    For 5 glorious days I don’t have to explain to anyone that no, my totoro tattoos are not pokemon. I could strike up a lengthy and thoughtful conversation with a complete stranger about Booster Gold’s work in the timestream, and it’s implications across the DC Universe. And having worn a costume for the first time this year, I got to experience an entirely new aspect of my fellow attendees. I couldn’t walk 10 feet without someone asking for my photograph. I became accustomed to responding to “Hey Zatanna!” Though being the ridiculously fast walker that I am, I’d often hear “Hey it’s Zatann- and she’s gone,” as I darted from booth to booth.

    Because of the costume, I didn’t carry around a schwag bag after Preview Night. I’ve picked up all of the freebies before, and this year I wanted to spend more time exploring, less time line-standing. So, one night as I was taking the Trolley back to my friend’s apartment in Hillcrest, I was chased down by another Con-goer. As I was about to hop off at my stop, this man held out his hands full of random freebie buttons and keychains and a usb drive shaped like a Star Trek communicator badge. He insisted that I take them since I hadn’t collected any of my own. I didn’t have time to explain, so I gushed my thanks before hopping off the Trolley with my heart feeling like it was going to burst.
    Nerds are so great.

    But there are some things I need to remind myself for next year:
    1. No one is ok with a Zatanna that wears Chuck Taylors. Next year she will wear heels.
    2. She also needs an extra pair of white gloves. Flip through the program book enough, and they will quickly become grey gloves.
    3. Bring my own camera.
    4. Meeting up with friends from Twitter requires more coordination. After 4 days of being just short of having “Yakety Sax” playing in the background while trying to end up in the same place, I finally got to meet my friend Daniel. Next year, I vote we pick a panel, any panel (except one in Hall H) and call it a date. (The more cheese-tastic the panel, the better.)
    5. Have my story completed before the 41st Comic-Con. Not particularly for the Con, but it’s sort of an appropriate deadline to set for myself, I think.

    • Listening to:: The Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
    May 3rd, 2009

    I’d go the whole wide world.

    Posted by LA in Breakfast, Brunch, Eggs, Recipes, Salmon, Seafood


    I have no idea what to call this. How about Salmon and Spinach Benedict with a Mock Wasabi Hollandaise? I don’t know if it counts as a benedict variation if there’s nothing starchy involved. But we’re going to pretend, since it tasted really awesome anyway.

    Mock Wasabi Hollandaise
    1/2 c. Kewpie mayonnaise
    2/3 t. wasabi powder (or to taste)
    2 T. orange juice
    1 t. grated orange peel
    1 t. fresh lemon juice

  • Whisk mayonnaise, wasabi, orange juice, grated orange peel, and fresh lemon juice in small bowl to blend.
  • Cover and refrigerate until use.

    • Salmon and Spinach Benedict
    6 oz canned salmon
    4 oz baby spinach, coarsely chopped
    2 scallions, minced
    1 t. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
    1/4 t. kosher salt
    1/4 t. black pepper
    1 large egg white
    1 T. soy sauce
    Vegetable oil for brushing skillet
    2 large eggs

  • Break apart salmon, then stir together with spinach, scallions, ginger, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
  • Beat together egg white and soy sauce in a small bowl and stir into salmon mixture, then form into 2 patties.
  • Heat a nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Cook patties, carefully turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total.
  • While cooking patties, boil water in a pan that is at least 3 inches deep. Reduce to a simmer, and slip eggs carefully into slowly simmering water. Cover and turn off heat. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, depending on firmness desired.
  • Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon. Allow to drain well.
  • Place egg on salmon patty, and spoon sauce on top. Garnish with cracked pepper.

    • A couple of things.

    First, I realize that not making an honest-to-goodness hollandaise sauce might be considered blasphemy to some, but preparing these recipes has made me all the more aware of what I end up consuming. And the thought of eating a cup of butter in the form of hollandaise kind of made me feel sick.
    Mayonnaise, bearnaise, hollandiase, aioli. They’re all cousins, right? So I made a mayonnaise-based sauce, and it suited the dish perfectly.

    Second, I’d like to point out that this dish, like most of what I cook, was thrown together from the randomness that I could gather together from my kitchen. I wish I could say that I actually plan things ahead. Instead, it was more like me sleeping in, waking up and rummaging through my fridge, and trying to figure out what I could make from salmon and eggs.
    Not very glamorous. But I do wear an apron with pink parakeets on it. So, maybe a skoche glamorous.

    • Listening to:: Spoon - The Book I Write
    • Status:: -100 Energy due to ear infection. (Or Swine Ear as I like to call it.)
    February 9th, 2009

    Ridiculous you, waiting in the queue.

    Posted by LA in Burgers, Condiments, Hawaiian, Recipes


    Teri turkey burger with sauteed onions and garlic-chive aioli on Hawaiian sweet bread. There really isn’t a whole lot of experimentation going on in this recipe. Just a whole lot of “Oh my God, this is really, incredibly, tastebud-blowingly tasty.”

    Raymie Sauce
    1/2 c. soy sauce
    1/2 c. light brown sugar
    2 T. mirin
    1 t. sesame oil
    3 cloves garlic, crushed
    1/2 t. ground ginger

    Garlic-Chive Aioli
    1 T. kewpie mayonnaise
    1 T. chive, minced
    1 clove garlic, crushed

    Teri Turkey Burger
    4 oz. ground turkey breast
    1 green onion, trimmed and chopped
    2 cloves garlic, sliced
    1 medium sweet yellow onion, sliced
    1 medium tomato, sliced
    iceberg lettuce
    Hawaiian sweet bread bun

  • Combine ingredients for Raymie sauce and set aside. Do the same for aioli.
  • Warm 4 T. Raymie saice in a medium skillet over low heat. Add sliced onions and one garlic clove, sautee stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.
  • In small bowl, combine ground turkey, 2 T. Raymie sauce, chopped green onion, and second garlic clove. Form into 1/2 in. thick patty, but do not pack tightly.
  • Push onion to the side of skillet, and add patty. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes, turning once and brushing with each side with Raymie sauce.
  • Spread aioli on bottom bun, and add turkey burger. Top with sauteed onion and garlic, tomato slices, and lettuce.
  • Invite me over. Because I want one.
  • The remaining Raymie sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container to be used later.

    Two things.
    One. It is incredibly important that you use Hawaiian sweet bread buns. Not just regular style white people buns.
    Two. I just realized I used a lot a lot of garlic in this burger. And that’s ok with me.

    So, maybe you’re wondering, “Raymie” sauce?
    When I was little and lived in Hawaii, we had a family friend who gave us a recipe for teriyaki sauce. For some reason, the recipe card had the friend’s name on it, and from then on it was never referred to as teriyaki, but as Raymie sauce.
    We’ve lost touch with her, but her name comes up in my day-to-day life more often than she likely ever imagined it would.

    I wonder if I’m ever remembered in such a seemingly random way.

    Also, I still miss Hawaii.
    At least I’ll have a chance to get back to San Diego early next month. And I don’t care if it’s going to be March and likely still ridiculously cold, I need to be in the Pacific Ocean. It’s going to happen. And freezing or not, I’m going to like it. So there.

    • Listening to:: The Fratellis - Everybody Knows You Cried Last Night
    • Status:: Wanting to go swimming and resorting to wearing my swimsuit in my apartment.
    February 8th, 2009

    In honesty, it’s been a while.

    Posted by LA in Recipes, Rice, Shrimp


    Garlic shrimp, and spinach and rice with lime.

    Shrimp
    1 T. butter
    1/2 medium bell pepper, diced
    6 stalks asparagus, trimmed
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    6 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    kosher salt
    ancho chili pepper

  • In heavy skillet, heat butter on high until foaming stops, but doesn’t brown. Saute bell pepper and asparagus until soft.
  • Reduce heat to medium, add garlic. Bring to a simmer. Add shrimp and salt to taste. Stir well. Cook at medium until shrimp turn pink.
  • Sprinkle with chili pepper to taste.

    Rice
    1/2 T. unsalted butter
    1 shallot, finely chopped
    1/3 c. long-grain white rice
    1 c. vegetable broth
    1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
    3 cloves garlic, chopped
    8 oz. spinach, tough stems discarded
    kosher salt
    fresh ground black pepper
    chili flakes
    1 t. fresh lime juice

  • Heat butter in heavy saucepan over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes.
  • Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until grains turn opaque, about 2 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to low, then stir in broth and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until ready to use.
  • While rice is cooking, heat oil in a heavy pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring constantly, until it begins to turn golden, about 1 minute.
  • Add all of spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, turning and stirring with tongs, until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Stir in lime juice, then add rice and stir until just combined. Season with salt and pepper.

    I’ve not gotten near enough sleep the past few days. And this is good.

    • Listening to:: Super Furry Animals - Hello Sunshine
    • Watching:: How I Met Your Mother
    • Status:: Nerdy for a tv character
    January 27th, 2009

    The branches fell at last, greeted by the grass.

    Posted by LA in Pasta, Recipes


    Turkey, tomato, ricotta, and mozzarella lasagna. So, I’ve never had a friend who liked lasagna. Until now. Of course, this required a cooking experiment. And as we’ll see, not all experiments are pulled off without a hitch or two.

    Sauce
    1 T. olive oil
    1 c. chopped onion
    3/4 c. finely chopped crimini mushrooms
    3 T. minced fresh garlic
    8 oz. lean ground turkey
    1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with puree
    1/4 c. tomato paste
    1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
    1 T. golden brown sugar
    1 T. dried oregano
    1 bay leaf
    1/2 t. dried crushed red pepper
    1/2 t. white pepper

  • Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; sauté until softened, about 12 minutes.
  • Add turkey; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with spatula, about 5 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer until flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Cool.

    Lasagna
    15 lasagne noodles
    2 15 oz. containers part-skim ricotta cheese
    1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
    1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
    2 large eggs
    6 balls of partially dried fresh mozzarella

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Drain; cover with cold water.
  • Combine ricotta and 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Mix in spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs.
  • Drain pasta and pat dry. Spread 1/2 c. sauce over bottom of glass baking dish. Cover with noodles. Spread ricotta-spinach mixture evenly over noodles. Layer slices of mozzarella evenly over ricotta-spinach mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 c. sauce over cheese, spreading with spatula to cover. Repeat layering with noodles, remaining ricotta-spinach mixture, slices of mozzarella and 1 1/2 c. sauce. Arrange remaining noodles over sauce. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Add remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese evenly over lasagna.
  • Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  • Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake lasagna 40 minutes; uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

    Okay, so I ran into a couple of problems.
    Problem 1: Moisture.
    Next time, I need to let the sauce cool completely before assembling the lasagne. Especially if I plan on refrigerating the dish. (Which needs to be warmed to almost room temperature before being put in the oven.) I also need to allow the spinach to dry more, and use a drier mozzarella.
    Problem B: My lacking mathematical skills.
    Having never made lasagna before, I had little to no idea exactly how much of everything I needed to make. Or even how many layers there should be, or what order they should go in, or if the pasta should be touching, or if I should be referring to the dish as lasagne or lasagna. So many questions needing answers.
    After the entire ordeal, my result was two way-too-full dishes of lasagna and a lot of leftover ricotta-spinach mixture. I needed to put some aluminum foil under the dish to prevent it from overflowing in the oven.
    Next time, how about thinner layers in a larger dish?

    The sauce though? Extremely tasty. (Though I’d add a skoche more pepper next time.)
    The leftovers are perfect for making some unattractive-but-yummy bento for the rest of the week.

    I’ve been practicing ukulele again. My current repertoire is a collection of theme songs from 80s cartoons, and a few songs from They Might Be Giants and Jonathan Coulton. The idea is to play at Chippewa Chapel sometime in the near future.
    We’ll see.

    • Listening to:: The Little Ones - New Branches
    • Status:: The Big Spoon.
    November 4th, 2008

    Go ahead and take the town then. The town is yours to take.

    Posted by LA in Breakfast, Recipes


    Pumpkin pancakes and oven-coddled eggs with mashed potatoes and herbs. Because it’s fall. And because my insides must be filled with pumpkin in the fall.

    Oven-coddled eggs with mashed potatoes
    1/2 c. soy milk
    1 bay leaf
    14 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
    1/4 c. finely chopped shallots
    2 T. chopped fresh green onion
    2 T. butter
    1 t. rosemary
    1 t. thyme
    1 t. crushed garlic
    4 large eggs
    6 T. freshly grated Pecorino Romano
    1 t. fresh ground pepper

  • Butter four 3/4 c. ramekins. Bring soy milk and bay leaf to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Cover; let steep 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf.
  • Meanwhile, cook potatoes in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Place potatoes in medium bowl. Add warm soy milk, shallots, green onion, butter, rosemary, and thyme; mash until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide potato mixture among ramekins. Spoon small amount of crushed garlic into center. (Can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Carefully crack 1 egg over potatoes in each ramekin. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Place ramekins in baking pan. Pour enough hot water into pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until egg whites are gently set but yolks are still soft, about 17 minutes. Remove ramekins from baking pan. Sprinkle with ground pepper, chives, or Parmesan and serve.

    Pumpkin pancakes
    1 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
    2 T. brown sugar
    2 t. baking powder
    1/2 t. cinnamon
    1/4 t. ground cloves
    3/4 t. salt
    1 1/3 c. soy milk
    3/4 c. canned pure pumpkin
    1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
    1 t. vanilla extract
    4 large eggs, separated
    2 T. sugar
    vegetable oil

  • Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in large bowl to blend.
  • Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well.
  • Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick).
  • Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry, slowly adding sugar. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions.
  • Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 min per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches.

    I’m not a big maple syrup fan, so instead I just added a little bit of butter and dusted them with powdered sugar. Mmmm.
    I didn’t use a mixer to beat the egg whites, so the batter stayed a bit more dense than I might have liked. After making a few cakes to have for dinner, I thinned out the batter a bit with a little more pumpkin and soy milk, and made crepes for lunch tomorrow. I’m not completely sure how refrigerating them will work out, so I put half in the fridge, half in the freezer.
    Hooray for experiments on pumpkin pancakery in the fridge environment. Science must be served!

    I don’t think it will ever feel not-awkward to have a cashier ring myself up for one potato, one shallot, one garlic clove, and one orange.
    Cooking for one much?

    • Listening to:: Bishop Allen - Rain
    • Status:: + 20 Meh
    September 21st, 2008

    They’re the ones you would think I would say if there was a me for you.

    Posted by LA in Recipes, Seafood


    Rockfish tacos! I’m about to leave town for a week, and needed to ransack my apartment for perishable groceries. Here is the extremely tasty result.

    Sauce
    3 T. Kewpie Mayonnaise
    1/2 t. ancho chili pepper
    1 t. white miso paste
    1/2 t. chili paste

    Fish tacos
    8 oz rockfish fillet
    4 T. extra virgin olive oil
    3 T. light soy sauce
    2 T. white wine vinegar
    1 clove of garlic, crushed
    1 t. kosher salt
    1 t. fresh cracked black pepper
    leek, sliced thin
    baby arugula
    lime
    pocket pita bread, cut in half

  • Mix Kewpie, chili pepper and paste in a small bowl. Refrigerate.
  • Mix olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar and garlic in shallow bowl. Turn fish in oil mixture to coat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper.
  • Broil until flaky, and just opaque in center.
  • Spread sauce inside pitas. Stuff with fish.
  • Toss arugula with lime juice, stuff in pita with sliced leek.

    Okay, so I have to say I didn’t have high expectations for this one.
    Black beans with Oaxaca cheese would’ve been a great side dish. Grilling the fish instead of broiling would’ve been cool too. The pita I had wasn’t very fresh. I was all down on the results before I was even halfway finished preparing the dish.
    Anyone that knows me and my cooking knows I don’t tend to run around exclaiming its awesomeness. But, g.d., these pseudo fish tacos were ridiculously good. Pretty high up there on my list of cooking experiments I hope to recreate soon. Except for the part where I stabbed my gums with a fish bone. Not looking to recreate that. I need to work on my fish-cleaning skills.

    So, I guess, Happy Hispanic Heritage month?
    I am celebrating with perhaps the whitest recipe for tacos ever.
    How white am I? I had an all-out argument with a co-worker who refused to accept that I am in fact half Mexican. She almost had me doubting it for a moment.

    I’m going home next week. I’ll be updating with lots of photos of all the local kine foods I’ve been missing so hard the past year or so.
    Lack of time to go biking lately has left me a bit squishier than I like, and a chance to eat Leonard’s and Zippy’s for a week isn’t going to help, I think.

    • Listening to:: They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng
    • Status:: Knit one, purl two
    September 2nd, 2008

    And they will tell you the things that you are not.

    Posted by LA in Chicken, Recipes, Relationships


    Chicken curry with potatoes and sticky rice. I promised curry, didn’t I? Perhaps not the most adventurous curry that was ever made, but I think it was pretty good for a first try.

    3 T. curry powder
    1/2 t. salt, or to taste
    1 lb. cubed skinless chicken
    2 T. vegetable oil
    1 T. chopped shallot
    2 t. minced garlic
    2 t. dried chili flakes, or to taste
    3 T. fish sauce
    1 t. sugar
    2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
    1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
    1 1/2 c. fresh chicken stock
    1 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut milk
    1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
    1 medium golden potato, peeled and cubed
    1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
    2 scallions, chopped

  • Combine 2 T. of the curry powder and the salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  • Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili and the remaining 1 T. curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the coconut milk, onion and potato and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with Asian basil or scallions, and serve.

    • I think perhaps next time I’ll be a little less adventurous with the chili, and maybe let the curry cook down a little thicker. Otherwise, I look forward to having the leftovers in my bento tomorrow.

    Today, I found out that the first boy I told that I loved has gotten engaged. My chest feels simultaneously excited and flattened. (But mostly excited.)
    They live on two separate continents. And over the course of their relationship have spent 7 days together.
    My first thought is ‘How ridiculous is that? Of course that will never work.’ And immediately afterwards I am both shocked and saddened by how pessimistic I’ve grown lately. I’ve been so wrapped up in the opinions of others that I’ve forgotten most of my favorite parts of myself. Notably the doe-eyed idealism.
    So, rather than letting myself feel as though I’m eating the dust of nearly all of my peers, I think I’ll day-dream for a while about the kind of affection that could drive someone to propose to someone oceans away.

    And a ladybug just crawled across my ceiling.

    • Listening to:: Jon Brion - Get What It's About
    • Status:: - 25 grown-up pessimism
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